


The Agony of Nanase Haruka

by SEMellark



Category: Free!
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Snark, dumb boys, so much snark im not even kidding, you made your bed haru now you gotta lie in it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-19
Updated: 2015-05-19
Packaged: 2018-03-31 06:35:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3968101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SEMellark/pseuds/SEMellark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Since moving to Tokyo for school, Haruka has found himself being confessed to a lot more often. The instances are still few and far between, but when they do happen, he’s always quick to state that he’s married.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Agony of Nanase Haruka

**Author's Note:**

> SO I graduated from high school and I've been getting my affairs and shit in order, so excuse my absence. It was difficult, lemme tell ya.

Since moving to Tokyo for school, Haruka has found himself being confessed to a lot more often. The instances are still few and far between, but when they do happen, he’s always quick to state that he’s married.

Reactions vary from person to person, some decidedly more hilarious than others, and sometimes Haruka is left struggling to keep a straight face. He should probably feel badly for rejecting people so unapologetically, but he just doesn’t.

It’s not like he’s lying, exactly. Just… acting upon many years of _very_ wishful thinking.

Makoto still doesn’t know what he’s been doing, and Haruka isn’t really inclined to tell him. Nagisa thinks it would be hilarious – _Imagine how red Mako-chan would get!_ – but Haruka is certain Makoto would have a heart attack, and he’d rather not kill his best friend slash pseudo-boyfriend, pseudo because they haven’t really talked about it, but... one thing usually always leads to another, _sometimes_ there are dicks involved, and that’s enough for Haruka. 

The lying continues for months during their first year at university, but it happens so infrequently that Haruka hardly thinks about it outside of the moment. None of the men or women who approach him ever do so a second time after Haruka gives his usual deadpan, “Sorry, I’m married.”

He couldn’t do it back in Iwatobi, because of course no one would believe him. Why he’s believed in Tokyo is beyond Haruka. He doesn’t even have a ring.

But it works. Whether or not he has a husband or wife, he never says, but he always thinks about Makoto, about the color of his eyes and the gentle curve of his mouth, and whatever expression is on his face when that happens must be enough to convince anyone in the vicinity.

Makoto comes to his school sometimes, just to ride home on the train with Haruka or go out to dinner with him after their classes end, and Haruka never saw that as a problem until one day it suddenly was.

Walking should have been fine. Walking is usually safe. They walk and talk and Haruka notices a girl approaching them after a while, and although she seems vaguely familiar, Haruka doesn’t make the connection until she’s already stopped in front of them and is staring appreciatively at Makoto.

Never mind the fact that she’s apparently moved on. Haruka just doesn’t like the way she ogles Makoto.

“Hello, Nanase-kun.” She says cheerfully, in the same tone of voice she used while confessing her affections to him weeks previously. “Is this your husband? I’ve never had the chance to officially meet him before.”

“Tachibana Makoto.” Haruka’s green-eyed companion says pleasantly, extending a hand to the girl before them. It’s a good thing Makoto’s all for gallantry, because Haruka would have stayed silent until the ground swallowed him up. The awkward silence surely would have given him away, and then he’d have to go back to denying confessions in the conventional way. “It’s very nice to meet you, Miss… “ 

The two of them exchange pleasantries, though Haruka is barely listening, agonizing over the absurdity of the absolute _shitfest_ that is his life, but eventually Makoto is tugging on his wrist and they head off to the station as planned, something about their pace more urgent than before.

Haruka keeps his gaze fixated firmly ahead of him, even though he can _feel_ Makoto’s stare against the side of his face. “So.” Makoto says. “You’ve been telling people who confess to you that we’re married to avoid explaining why you aren’t interested?”

“Not us specifically.” Haruka grumbles, burning under the weight of his mortification. Never have his actions come back to bite him in the ass quite this badly. Makoto will never let him live this down, never mind Nagisa. “You come here to pick me up a lot. People just assume.”

Makoto hums lowly, hands shoved into the pockets of his jacket, and Haruka wonders why he isn’t freaking out. Lying is second on Makoto’s _Things Haru Should Not Do_ list, second only to taking impromptu swims in public places.

Haruka had resigned himself to his fate within seconds of bumping into… that girl whose name Haruka _still_ cannot remember even though she’d told Makoto, but nothing is happening. He isn’t sure if this is good or bad.

“Well,” Makoto says eventually, and Haruka hunches his shoulders slightly, steels himself for the worst, “it’s not like you’re _completely_ lying.”

“I’m actually impressed by Haru-chan’s game here.” Nagisa cackles later over a conference call, after they’ve explained the day’s events to him. “I schmoozed Rei-chan so hard for nearly three weeks, but he didn’t even get it until I had my hand on his dick.”

“But did you internally marry him and use him as a scapegoat to avoid awkward situations?” Makoto inquires, disapproving even in his euphoria, and Haruka thinks there are worse ways to die.

**Author's Note:**

> Can you tell I like italics /shot


End file.
